Study Break
by The Procrastinating Bookworm
Summary: In which Carlos convinces Dorothy Ann to take a much needed break from studying and expand her horizons.
1. Chapter 1

"C'mon D.A.! You've had you head stuck in a book since grade school! Come explore with me today, live a little!" Carlos said, as he ripped the LSAT study guide from her hands. Time had treated Carlos well. He was taller now, but still had the same dark hair and darker eyes that he had as a child. The tan shorts, tree-green baseball tee and navy loafers helped show the definition in his muscles that seemed to have appeared overnight.

"Uggh, Carlos! Give that back! I have to study! My test is tomorrow!" Dorothy Ann retorted. She had matured, if it were possible, since those days in Ms. Frizzle's class. Long gone were the pig tails. Now her blond hair hung in waves down to her shoulders. Her blue eyes were still as questioning as ever, and at this moment, they desperately wanted to get back to the studying at hand. But seeing as she was still a head shorter than her friend, even in shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers, getting that book back was proving to be quite a problem.

"No way. How many studies have you rattled off to me about how learning takes time, and that there is no point in cramming the day before?"

"But Carlos! This is important! I need to do well on this test. And I need that study guide."

"Uh-uh. You are hanging out with me today. Amazingly there is this funny little thing called 'Life' once you pull your nose out of these books. "

"Carlos" she began, exasperated. "Ple-ease D.A.? We haven't hung out _at all_ since you started studying. I'm _bored._ And I miss my best friend. Please?" Carlos begged.

D.A. sighed. "Fine. I'll do whatever you want – but only _after_ I finish my section."

"Fine," he caved, "but I get to quiz you."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Dorothy Ann had finally declared them done. Although still nervous, D.A. was satisfied with her knowledge of the test material. Carlos, on the other hand, had learned more legal jargon than he felt he would ever need.

"Are we really done?" he asked, with rising excitement.

"Yes." She resigned, mentally prepping herself for the amusing, and often memorable, afternoon that was about to follow.

"YES! Wait here." Carlos jumped out of his chair and ran the familiar path to D.A.'s bedroom. There he grabbed a scarf from the closet, her keys from the dresser, and her medical insurance card – just in case.

"C'mon. We have to hurry if we're going to make it!" he said, running back into the living room and all but pulling her out of her chair on his way to the door. "Hurry. Hurry. Hurry!" Carlos rushed them down to the parking garage, locking the door to Dorothy Ann's apartment behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

"Car-los? What are you thinking?" Dorothy Ann asked as he ushered them towards her car.

"Uh-uh. Nope, no way. I am so not telling you. Here, tie this around your eyes. It's a surprise."

"But – Uh, what?" D.A. was left speechless as so many different possibilities flickered through her head.

Carlos sighed. "Do I have to do everything?" he asked as he opened the passenger door for her. Walking around to his side, Carlos climbed in and tied the scarf around D.A.'s eyes. "Now don't mess with that. It's a good surprise, I promise."

D.A. sighed to herself. She and Carlos had been friends long enough that she knew a lost argument when she saw one. In fact, the banter between them had been one of the main reasons for her attempting to get into law school. It had kept her sharp and on her toes, constantly checking the validity of Carlos' crazy references. Stanford had been her dream school for as long as she could remember and she was beyond thrilled when they came calling. Dorothy Ann couldn't help but feel guilty, though, whenever she thought about leaving her friends and family clear across the country. Stanford was a long way from Edison, New Jersey. She had spent the last bit of her senior year in high school depressed at the idea.

Her mood, she remembered, had changed considerably that one night in April. It was nearing ten o'clock, and Dorothy Ann had been getting ready to head towards bed when her front door burst open. In came Carlos, with a wild look in his eye, dripping sweat and still in his soccer uniform from that night's game. "I GOT IN! I GOT IN! D.A.! I GOT IN!" "Carlos, wah – I don't understand. You got in where?" "STANFORD! I GOT IN! I GOT IN!" He was jumping all around the room, making it hard for D.A. to keep track of him. "Carlos, wait, slow down. How did you get into Stanford? I didn't think that you had even applied." " - andnowI'mgoingtoStanfordandnowyoudon'thavetobesofaraway."

"You wanna try that again?" Carlos took a deep breath and looked his best friend (and secret crush) in the eye. "There was a scout from Stanford at my game tonight. Apparently he's been to a couple of them now and liked what he saw. He found me in the locker room afterwards and offered me a scholarship. I accepted on the spot, and… and now…" He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. "'And now' what? Carlos?" "And now… and now you don't have to be so far away from your friends. Think about it D.A.! All the parties and games and, the apartment! If we're going to the same school, we have to be roommates! Besides, it would be my only chance to see you naked." He winked. "CARLOS!"

* * *

"Hell-oo. Earth to Dorothy Ann. Anyone home?" A light shake on her shoulder pulled D.A. from her memories and back to the present. "Where are we? Can I take this thing off yet?" she asked. "Yeah, hang on. Lemme park" came the reply. Once they had parked and gotten out, Carlos gently removed the scarf from around her eyes. They were in a park, and Carlos was leading them towards a small cluster of people on the nearby bridge. Still confused, D.A. began to ask "Carlos, where are you – Oh _**hell no!**_"


	3. Chapter 3

Carlos cracked up. "C'mon D.A., it'll be fun." "Jumping off a bridge and plunging to certain death is your idea of _fun_?" The scandalized expression on her face was worth a thousand words to Carlos. "Dorothy Ann, would you relax. I promise it is completely safe. It's called bungee jumping…"

"You mean this _**insanity**__ has a __**name**__?_" Fighting to control his laughter, he explained the process, and safety, of bungee jumping. "I've never done it, but it looks awesome. And you've been so busy studying, even for a know-it-all like yourself. You need this."

While he was busy trying to reason with her, Dorothy Ann watched as two other people jumped from the bridge. They both had large full-body harnesses on and a small mountain of safety cord next to them. Once they lost all of their momentum, they merely undid the carabineer connecting them to the cord and cannon-balled into the river below. It did look kinda…fun.

"Alright," she agreed quietly, "but we jump together." "D.A., lighten up. I promise you won't get… wait, wah? Did… did you just agree to this?" "Yup, and you can't back out of it either." It was Carlos' turn to look skeptical. He didn't think it would be that easy. Convincing D.A. to do anything remotely unorthodox took some serious brownnosing and scientific mumbling. "This isn't some ploy to steal the keys and lock yourself in the car, is it?" "Nope," she said, firmer this time. "But I was serious when I said that we jump together." "Okay then… Let's go?" He was still having a hard time believing her. "C'mon!"

They walked over to where the instructor was standing on the bridge. He was kind, suntanned man in his mid 40's. He walked them through the mechanics and mathematics of the whole thing, and patiently answered all of Dorothy Ann's questions. He didn't flinch at all when she asked if they could jump together, but merely answered in the affirmative and turned away from them with a knowing twinkle in his eye. He had seen this type of thing before.

Dorothy Ann and Carlos were both outfitted with their own harnesses, but they were tethered to the same cord. Standing face to face, D.A. was instructed to place her hands on Carlos' (well) defined biceps. Carlos followed the instructions he was given, and his arms encircled her petite waist. Both became hyper aware of the person they were holding, each trying to fight back their blush. "Are you sure about this D.A.? We can still back out." "On three?" "Alright, ready." D.A. gave a small nod, and they began to count together. "One… Two… Three!"

And they jumped.

* * *

The woman had the same type of suntanned look and kind eyes as her cohort. She was a hippie through and through, and she had seen every thing that had just happened. "Jake? Honey? Why did you have them jump like that?" Her husband chuckled before replying. "Sometimes people just need a little help." "Oh, Honey! You're such a romantic!" she crooned, before capturing his lips in true love's kiss.

* * *

The sensation was indescribable. She was falling fast, but she felt so safe – and it wasn't because of the harness. The adrenaline coursing through her body cleared her mind of everything except for what was right in front of her. Carlos. How could she be so blind? All these years he had been so kind to her. Helping her study when she needed it, coaching her through the ups and downs of high school, standing up for her when she wasn't around to stick up for herself, never playing pranks on her, and never making her the butt of his more tasteless jokes. (He was still Carlos, after all. Being involved in his jokes was part of the territory.) He had followed her to Stanford, and four years later they were still best friends. How could she have missed his devotion to her, and better yet, how could she return it?

They had finally slowed down, and were now swinging freely underneath the bridge. During the fall, her hands had circled around his neck, clinging on for dear life. She noticed, with a satisfied smile, that his hands had done the same around her waist. "Geez, Dorothy Ann! I think you deafened me. I didn't know you could scream like that!" D.A. smiled wickedly, and taking advantage of her position, she reached up and unhooked him from the cord, sending him plunging into the water below. Revenge was sweet! She took a deep breath and followed him with a huge cannonball.

"I guess I deserve that, even if I was being serious." Carlos said when she swam over to him. "No," she disagreed, "you deserve more. Why didn't you tell me you were in love with me?" "What! How do you know that?" Carlos was shocked that she figured it out, but he put the pieces together and gave her a weak smile. She was brilliant, after all. She swam closer to him. "I had some time to figure it out. Ya know, recently." She gestured overhead as she placed her arms around his neck. "And?" he breathed. "I think I might just love you too" she said, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

* * *

Jake watched as the new couple, making gooey eyes at each other as they walked, trekked back to their car. Something about the completely-safe near-death experience seemed to bring people together. Helping out oblivious pairs was his favorite part of the job. Swelling with pride, Jake turned his attention back to help the newest group of young thrill seekers.


End file.
